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Freight claims of a manufacturer to a logistics service provider are
automated to manage re-orders of built to order products, such as
information handling systems, in response to delivery reports from
customers for lost or damaged freight. A freight claim engine
automatically initiates communication to the logistics service provider
for customer delivery reports of freight claims and determines whether to
re-order the delivery of the product based on the response of the
logistics service provider. Responses to a freight claim by the logistics
service provider that indicate delivery of the product in a desired time
precludes a re-build of the product to improve customer satisfaction and
reduce manufacturer costs.

Inventors:

Myrick, Stephanie; (Austin, TX); James, Janis; (Hutto, TX)

Correspondence Address:

HAMILTON & TERRILE, LLP
P.O. BOX 203518
AUSTIN
TX
78720
US

Serial No.:

657983

Series Code:

10

Filed:

September 9, 2003

Current U.S. Class:

705/8

Class at Publication:

705/008

International Class:

G06F 017/60

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A system for automated freight claim management of freight deliveries,
the system comprising: a customer interface operable to accept delivery
reports from customers; a freight claim engine operable to automatically
process the delivery reports to identify freight claims; and a logistics
service provider interface operable to communicate freight claims to the
logistics service provider and to receive logistics service provider
responses; wherein the freight claim engine is further operable to
process logistics service provider responses to resolve freight claims.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the freight claim engine is further
operable to resolve freight claims by automatically generating a
re-delivery order for logistics service provider responses of lost
freight.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a response time engine
interfaced with the freight claim engine and operable to assign a
response of lost freight to a freight claim if the logistics service
provider fails to respond to the freight claim in a predetermined time.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the freight claim engine is further
operable to resolve freight claims by automatically precluding a
re-delivery order for logistics service provider responses of found
freight.

5. The system of claim 2 further comprising an accounting engine
interfaced with the freight claims engine and operable to track payment
balances to the logistics service provider based on the identified
freight claims and the logistics service provider responses.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the logistics service provider interface
comprises an EDI communications interface.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the deliveries comprise built to order
products.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the built to order products comprise
information handling systems.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising an information handling system
order validation engine associated with the freight claims engine and
operable to compare information associated with freight claims with one
or more required information fields to identify and intercept deficient
freight claims from communication to the logistics service provider.

11. A method for automated freight claims management of freight
deliveries, the method comprising: receiving delivery reports from
customers; identifying delivery reports as freight claims by one or more
predetermined factors; automatically communicating freight claims to a
logistics service provider associated with the freight deliveries;
receiving responses to the freight claims from the logistics service
provider; and automatically resolving the freight claims according to the
logistics service provider responses.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein automatically resolving the freight
claims further comprises: automatically initiating re-delivery of an
information handling system identified as lost by a logistics service
provider response; and automatically precluding re-delivery of an
information handling system identified as found by a logistics service
provider.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising: tracking response times
between freight claim communications to logistics service providers and
logistics service provider responses; and assigning a logistics service
provider response of lost if a predetermined response time lapses.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising: validating freight claim
information before sending freight claims to the logistics service
provider; and initiating re-delivery of information handling systems
associated with an invalid freight claim.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising: tracking payment balance
based on the identified freight claims and the logistics service provider
responses; and communicating the payment balances to a financial
institution associate with payments to the logistics service provider for
the deliveries.

18. A method for manufacturer management of freight claims associated with
delivery of build to order products by a logistics service provider, the
method comprising: accepting orders from plural customers for products to
be built to a customer-ordered configuration; building the products;
providing the products to a logistics service provider for delivery of
each product to a location associated with a customer; receiving freight
claims from customers for failure of the logistics service provider to
deliver products; automatically communicating the freight claims to the
logistics service provider; receiving responses of the logistics service
provider to freight claims; automatically re-building the products
associated with a response of lost or damaged; and precluding the
re-building of products associated with a response of found.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising: validating that the
location associated with freight claims matches the location provided to
the logistics service provider for the products.

[0002] The present invention relates in general to the field of freight
delivery, and more particularly to a method and system for automated
freight claims for lost or damaged freight.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] As the value and use of information continues to increase,
individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store
information. One option available to users is information handling
systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles,
stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal,
or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value
of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and
requirements vary between different users or applications, information
handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how
the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or
communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be
processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information
handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or
configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial
transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or
global communications. In addition, information handling systems may
include a variety of hardware and software components that may be
configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include
one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking
systems.

[0005] The great number of different component types and manufacturers
used to configure information handling systems allows businesses and
individuals tremendous flexibility in configuring information handling
systems to meet desired goals and needs. For instance, a business that
uses information handling system primarily for secretarial functions,
like word processing, may order large numbers of similarly configured
systems that have less expensive processing and video components. By
comparison, a researcher who performs intense mathematical computations
may order a number of different systems tailored to desired functions
like processing computations or displaying detailed graphics. An
efficient way of taking and filling orders for information handling
systems having different configurations is to build the information
handling systems to order. In a build-to-order system, customers order
information handling systems with desired hardware and software
configurations and the systems are built to the ordered configuration
after the order is received. Build-to-order systems provide customers
with greater flexibility than is available from inventory-based systems
in which customers purchase systems already built to configurations that
the manufacturer has selected.

[0006] One difficulty with build-to-order systems is that information
handling systems built to a customer's desired configuration generally
must be shipped to the customer's location after they are complete.
Specific tracking of information handling systems during the build
process to associate systems with orders often presents a complex task.
Once an information handling system is built, a logistics service
provider, such as FED EX or UPS, typically picks the system up at the
manufacturer's factory and delivers the system to the customer according
to instructions provided by the manufacturer. The logistics service
provider generally has a specified number of days in which to deliver the
information handling system to the customer. Mistakes in manufacture or
delivery that preclude delivery of an ordered information handling system
to a customer are often not discovered until the customer calls to
complain that the information handling system did not arrive as
scheduled. Typically, information handling system manufacturers are able
to track down internal problems that arise prior to delivery of the
completed system to the logistics service provider. However, once an
information handling system is handed off to the logistics service
provider, the manufacturer generally must depend on the provider to track
down delivery failures due to limited exchanges of delivery information
through firewalls that protect manufacturer proprietary information and
customer privacy. If the lost freight cannot be located and delivered to
the customer, a new information handling system is usually built and
shipped instead. Typically the communication between the manufacturer and
logistics service provider takes time so that replacement systems are
often built even though the logistics service provider eventually locates
lost freight. The building of replacement systems represents a
substantial cost, especially where the original system became lost
freight due to an error of the manufacturer, such as an incorrect or
mislabeled customer address for delivery.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Therefore a need has arisen for a method and system which automates
information handling system manufacturer and logistic service provider
lost freight claims.

[0008] A further need exists for a method and system which communicates
lost freight claims from a shipper to a logistics service provider in an
automated and controlled manner.

[0009] In accordance with the present invention, a method and system are
provided which substantially reduce the disadvantages and problems
associated with previous methods and systems for freight claim
management. A freight claim engine automatically communicates freight
claims to a logistics service provider and analyzes responses from the
logistics service provider to initiate or preclude re-orders of the
product associated with the freight claim.

[0010] More specifically, the freight claim engine determines freight
claims from customer delivery reports received from customers for
delivery of built to order information handling systems. A validation
engine validates that the delivery location and associated delivery
information matches delivery instructions provided to the logistics
service provider. A logistics service provider interface communicates the
freight claim to the logistics service provider for a response provided
within a predetermined time that is monitored by a response time engine.
The freight claims engine receives the response and determines the status
of the delivery of the information handling system associated with the
freight claim. Lost or damaged deliveries, as determined by the response
or failure to respond by the logistics service provider, are re-ordered
to have a replacement information handling system sent to the customer.
Lost deliveries indicated as found by a timely logistics service provider
response are precluded from being re-ordered. An accounting engine tracks
freight claims and logistic service provider responses to automatically
manage financial responsibility of the logistics service provider for
lost or damaged freight claims.

[0011] The present invention provides a number of important technical
advantages. One example of an important technical advantage is that the
freight claims engine automates information handling system manufacturer
and logistics service provider lost freight claims. By automatically
determining freight claims from customer delivery reports and
automatically communicating the freight claims to the logistics service
provider, the freight claims engine delays the initiation of builds of
replacement information handling systems for a period of time to allow
the logistics service provider an opportunity to investigate the status
of a delivery. If the logistics service provider determines that delivery
will occur in a reasonable time, the manufacturer avoids the cost of an
additional information handling system build and improves customer
satisfaction with a more rapid delivery.

[0012] Another example of an important technical advantage of the present
invention is that the freight claims engine communicates lost freight
claims from a shipper to a logistics service provider in an automated and
controlled manner to improve delivery service for a variety of products.
Automated communication of selected customer delivery reports as freight
claims improves logistics service provider response times to correct
product delivery issues. Where deliveries are built to order products,
prompt logistics service provider responses to freight claims provides
greater manufacturer efficiencies with an informed decision made in a
reasonable time of whether to initiate a re-order of the built to order
product or to await delivery of an original misdirected product.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The present invention may be better understood, and its numerous
objects, features and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the
art by referencing the accompanying drawings. The use of the same
reference number throughout the several figures designates a like or
similar element.

[0016] Automated management of freight claims for built to order
information handling systems improves customer satisfaction and reduces
manufacturing costs by precluding re-orders for lost information handling
system deliveries that are found by a logistics service provider. For
purposes of this application, an information handling system may include
any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to
compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate,
switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or
utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business,
scientific, control, or other purposes. For example, an information
handling system may be a personal computer, a network storage device, or
any other suitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance,
functionality, and price. The information handling system may include
random access memory (RAM), one or more processing resources such as a
central processing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM,
and/or other types of nonvolatile memory. Additional components of the
information handling system may include one or more disk drives, one or
more network ports for communicating with external devices as well as
various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and
a video display. The information handling system may also include one or
more buses operable to transmit communications between the various
hardware components.

[0017] Referring now to FIG. 1, a block diagram depicts a freight claim
management system 10 configured to manage freight claims associated with
delivery of built to order information handling systems 12. Information
handling systems are built in a manufacturer center 14 and shipped by
logistics service provider vehicles 16 to a destination location 18, such
as a home or business address. The purchase and delivery of information
handling system 12 are managed through a network 12, such as by telephone
or Internet communications, with the customer of location 18 specifying
the configuration and delivery instructions ordered for information
handling system 12. Freight management system 12 obtains order and
delivery information for built to order information handling systems 12
through a factory interface 22. Customers communicate delivery reports to
freight claim management system 10 through a customer interface 24. For
instance, delivery reports include delivery of incorrectly configured or
damaged information handling systems, and failure to deliver an ordered
information handling system in an expected delivery period.

[0018] A freight claims engine 26 receives manufacturer center information
through factory interface 22 and the customer delivery reports from
customer interface 24 to automatically manage freight claims made to the
logistics service provider. Freight claims engine 26 may forward all or
selected delivery reports to obtain a response from the logistics service
provider with the determination of a delivery report as a freight claim
based on the urgency of a response and the likelihood of the delivery
report involving a logistics service provider error. For instance, a
validation engine 28 compares delivery report information with
manufacturer center information to identify delivery failures that are
likely associated with manufacture errors. Validation engine 28 compares
fields populated from the original customer order and fields populated
with the delivery report to identify inconsistencies. Examples of fields
that are compared or reviewed for validation include product
identification information, delivery location information, logistics
service provider track information, or shipping date information. As
another example, a determination of a delivery report as a freight claim
may be based on the likelihood of the resolution of the freight claim
with a re-order of the information handling system. If the delivery
report, for instance, indicates damage of great severity, then a re-order
is a likely resolution and less urgency exists to obtain a response from
the logistics service provider.

[0019] Freight claims engine 26 reports freight claims to a response time
engine 30 for communication to the logistics service provider through a
logistics service provider interface 32. Freight claims are communicated
by EDI messages to a logistics service provider center 34 with access by
the logistics service provider to the information of the information
handling system manufacturer restricted by a firewall 36 for security and
customer privacy. Logistics service provider 34 performs a trace on the
deliveries associated with freight claims to determine the status of the
deliveries and reports the status back to freight claims engine 26
through logistics service provider interface 32. Logistics service
provider responses approve or deny freight claim financial
responsibility. Approved financial responsibility indicates that the
delivery was lost or damaged so that freight claim engine 26 may initiate
a re-order of the information handling system. Denied financial
responsibility requires a denial reason code, proof of delivery, proof of
return or projected delivery of the information handling system. Denied
financial responsibility indicates that the delivery may still be made
and allows freight claims engine 26 to determine based on the denial code
whether to initiate a re-order. For instance, proof of delivery with a
customer signature may delay a re-order until the claim is investigated
for fraud or may result in initiation of a re-order to limit customer
delays with actual delivery of the replacement information handling
system delayed until the claim is investigated.

[0020] Response time engine 30 monitors freight claims and logistics
service provider responses to ensure that responses are received in a
predetermined time period. Failure to respond to a freight claim by a
logistics service provider in the predetermined response time results in
an assignment of financial responsibility to the logistics service
provider and initiation of a re-order. Freight claims engine 26 provides
approved financial claims to an accounting engine and interface 38 which
communicates the financial responsibility through EDI messages to a
financial payment center 40 responsible for resolving payments between
the manufacturer and the logistics service provider. A report interface
42 tracks freight claims to issue status reports for the manufacturer to
monitor delivery results. The automated communication of freight claims
to the logistics service provider allows for predictable delivery traces
without operator intervention so that re-orders of information handling
systems may be delayed until a response is received from the logistics
service provider without substantial impact on the build time of a
replacement information handling system if a replacement becomes
necessary. Further, the cost of a re-order may be precluded where the
response indicates that the original information handling system has a
reasonable likelihood of successful delivery in a predetermined time.

[0021] Referring now to FIG. 2, a flow diagram depicts a process for
automated freight claims management. The process begins at step 44 with a
customer communication of a delivery report to the customer interface,
such as by a phone call to a manufacturer customer representative. At
step 46 a determination is made of whether the customer delivery report
is a valid freight reason. For instance, if the customer call references
a missing component in a properly addressed delivery, the delivery report
is not considered a freight claim and the process continues to step 48
for handling as a non-logistics issue. If the customer delivery report is
determined as a freight claim, such as a failure to deliver an ordered
information handling system in an expected time period, the process
continues to step 50 for handling as a freight claim with input of
delivery report information, such as the order number, customer address,
weights, tracking number, SKU or parts number, customer representative
comments and reason codes.

[0022] At step 52, the validation engine tracks the customer delivery
report information for comparison with the original order to information
and, at step 54, determines if information is missing or erroneous. If
information is missing or erroneous, at step 56 the validation engine
logs the error with a red flag for manual handling by a customer care
representative. If the information is valid, the process continues to
step 58 at which the freight claims engine generates a unit record for
the freight claim in a format to allow investigation by the logistics
service provider, such as by including the delivery problem, order number
and delivery address. At step 60, the logistics service provider
interface batches the freight claim for delivery to the logistics service
provider. At step 62, a determination is made of whether to communicate
the freight claim by EDI message or through a value chain communication
medium. If the logistics service provider receives EDI messages, the
process continues to step 64 to send the freight claims by EDI message,
such as an encrypted EDI 920 file. If the logistics service provider does
not receive EDI messages, the process continues to step 66 to send the
freight claims by value chain, such as a spreadsheet posted to a secure
Web site. At step 68, the logistics service provider receives and
decrypts the freight claim and, at step 70 investigates the status of the
information handling system delivery associated with the freight claim.
At step 72, the logistics service provide responds to the freight claims
with approval of the claim or denial and the associated denial
information. If the logistics service provider is determined EDI capable
at step 74, the process continues to step 76 at which the response is
sent to the manufacturer by EDI message, such as an encrypted 141 file.
If the logistics service provider is determined not EDI capable at step
74, the process continues to step 78 at which the response is sent to the
manufacturer by a value chain message, such as a spread sheet posted to a
secured Web site. At step 80, the logistics service provider interface
receives the response and updates the freight claims engine record at
step 82 so that the freight claims engine may determine the freight
claims status as approved or denied based on the response. At step 84,
the factory interface sends responses resulting in re-orders to the
factory for building of a replacement information handling system. At
step 86, the resolution of the freight claim is provided to the customer
interface to update the call log of the customer delivery report and
respond to the customer as appropriate. The process completes at step 88
with resolution of the freight claim.

[0023] Although the present invention has been described in detail, it
should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations
can be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention as defined by the appended claims.